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EU probe says travel websites mislead consumers

May 12, 2008 | Online Travel

One in three European consumers are being misled or ripped off by websites selling airline tickets, the European Union's consumer chief said on Thursday, warning the industry to improve or face legal action.

Online booking is critical for the EU airline travel industry, which Commission figures show caters to over 700 million passengers per year.

Thursday’s report showed that over half of the 226 websites found to have breached EU consumer rules last November had now rectified their problems, but around 80 companies have still failed to address the concerns expressed by Brussels.

“This report shows there are serious and persistent problems with ticket sales throughout the airline industry as a whole,” EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva said. He was speaking after the publication of an investigation by Brussels into misleading advertising and unfair practices on airline ticket selling websites, including many run by leading airlines, across the 27-member bloc and Norway.

Following a previous probe by the EU executive in November, otherwise known as a “sweep”, Kuneva warned airlines such as Ryanair and the owners of the other travel websites to improve their systems or face possible closure of their sites.

Get the full story at the Guardian

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